Daidzein in food: ingestion safety
Low risk(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Second major soy isoflavone; weaker ER binding than genistein. Metabolized to equol by gut bacteria (~30-50% of Western adults). Equol producers may have enhanced estrogenic/anti-estrogenic effects.
What is daidzein?
The IUPAC name is 7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one.
Also known as: 4',7-Dihydroxyisoflavone, Daidzeol, 7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one, 7,4'-Dihydroxyisoflavone.
- IUPAC name
- 7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one
- CAS number
- 486-66-8
- Molecular formula
- C15H10O4
- Molecular weight
- 254.24 g/mol
- SMILES
- Oc1ccc(-c2coc3cc(O)ccc3c2=O)cc1
- PubChem CID
- 5281708
Risk for people
Low riskSecond major soy isoflavone; weaker ER binding than genistein. Metabolized to equol by gut bacteria (~30-50% of Western adults). Equol producers may have enhanced estrogenic/anti-estrogenic effects.
Regulatory consensus
2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Daidzein. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA | 1999 | GRAS as component of soy foods | |
| EFSA | 2015 | No safety concern at dietary levels |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where you encounter daidzein
- Food
- Dietary Supplement
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Daidzein:
-
S-equol supplement (direct metabolite)
Trade-offs: Only 30-50% of Western populations produce equol naturally from daidzein. Direct supplementation bypasses this. Limited clinical data.Relative cost: 3-5×
Frequently asked questions
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See Daidzein in the food app
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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →